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Egypt suffered a devastating loss in September when a pharaoh’s priceless bracelet was stolen from a museum in Cairo – and melted down.
Now forever lost, the bracelet belonged to Pharaoh Usermaatre Amenemope, a Third Intermediate Period king who likely ruled between 993 and 984 B.C., officials announced. It was housed in the Egyptian Museum’s restoration laboratory before the theft.
A restoration specialist apparently took the bracelet and transported it to a silver jeweler, who sold the bracelet to a gold jeweler for $3,735.
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The bracelet was then sold to a gold foundry worker for $4,000, who melted it down with other metals before authorities could save it. Egyptian officials said all suspects have been arrested, and authorities are investigating the incident.
It’s unusual for artifacts to be stolen from museums this way – but it’s not without precedent. See a few similar cases below.
‘America’ gold toilet
Though not an ancient treasure, the “America” gold toilet sculpture by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was nonetheless valuable.
In the early morning hours of Sept. 14, 2019, a team of burglars swiped the fully functioning toilet from England’s Blenheim Palace, the mansion where Winston Churchill was born.
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The satirical work weighed a whopping 215 pounds and was valued at $3.5 million in 2019. It was insured for 4.8 million pounds, or $6 million, per The Associated Press.
In June 2025, two suspects were jailed in relation to the incident.
The toilet has never been recovered. Authorities believe it was cut up and sold, AP reported.
Golden Horns of Gallehus
The Golden Horns of Gallehus were two of the most famous artifacts from ancient Denmark, according to the National Museum of Denmark.
The artifacts were unearthed in 1639 in Gallehus, and dated back to around 400 A.D. They were carved with Nordic and Roman motifs, testifying to cross-cultural exchange in ancient Europe.
On the night of May 4, 1802, a thief broke into Denmark’s Royal Art Museum and took the horns. He then melted them down.
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The destruction of the horns was a heavy loss for Danes, both literally and figuratively. The horns weighed more than 15 pounds collectively.
Two copies were made between 1859 and 1860. The recreations are on display at the National Museum of Denmark, though historians believe they’re likely larger than the originals.
Childeric I’s treasure
A treasure hoard belonging to Childeric I, a 5th century Frankish leader, was stolen nearly 200 years ago.
The University of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum said thieves entered France’s national library on Nov. 5, 1831, and stole over 176 pounds worth of the treasure.
The golden treasure was all melted down. It was originally discovered in 1653 near Tournai, Belgium.
The golden treasure was all melted down.
“A few pieces were retrieved from where they had been hidden in the Seine, including two of the bees,” the museum’s site notes.
“The record of the treasure, however, now exists only in the fine engravings made at the time of its discovery and in some reproductions made for the Habsburgs.”
British Museum artifacts
A former employee was accused of stealing from the British Museum in 2023.
More than 1,800 artifacts went missing from the archives. According to a 2023 press release from the museum, officials said most of the artifacts were small pieces kept in storage.
“They include gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D.,” the statement said. “None had recently been on public display, and they were kept primarily for academic and research purposes.”
In 2024, the British Museum launched a civil suit against the employee, who worked in the museum’s Greece and Rome department for more than two decades.
Per AP, the museum recovered 356 items as of July 2024. The theft is still under investigation by British authorities.
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Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, called the incident “highly unusual” at the time.
“The museum apologizes for what has happened,” said Fischer. “We have already tightened our security arrangements, and we are working alongside outside experts to complete a definitive account of what is missing, damaged and stolen.”
New Bedford Whaling Museum artifacts
An employee at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts was accused of stealing dozens of artifacts in 2023.
Robert M. Burchell, employed by the museum for two years, allegedly stole dozens of pocket-sized items from the museum and pawned them, according to Boston 25 News. The outlet reported the artifacts were worth over $75,000.
Authorities were alerted after a shop owner in West Bridgewater bought a few artifacts from Burchell and suspected that they were stolen.
As of 2023, some of the items were still reported missing from the museum.
Burchell pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court in 2024, to one count of larceny over $1,200 and six counts of larceny under $1,200, according to SouthCoastToday.
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